44Islands: a booking system replacing spreadsheets and scattered messages
Conceptual illustration of the booking workflow, prepared with synthetic data. It is not a screenshot of the real 44Islands system.
The starting point: important information lived in several places
44Islands organises and sells tours. Before the project began, order information was spread across spreadsheets, emails, text messages and notes from phone calls. This can work on a small scale, but becomes difficult to maintain as the company handles more departure dates, travellers, salespeople and partners.
The problem was not simply the lack of another form. The company needed one place where a booking could be connected with a specific tour date, the remaining capacity, the person who made the sale and the subsequent settlement.
The system had to reflect the actual process
An off-the-shelf tool was not enough because several groups of users were involved. A person taking a booking needs different information from a driver or tour leader, while a partner settling a sale needs a different view again.
We therefore built a custom web application. Its scope includes:
- tours, schedules and individual departure dates;
- bookings linked to seat availability;
- access appropriate to salespeople, partners, drivers and tour leaders;
- calculation and settlement of commissions according to the sales rules;
- continued development of integrations with an external sales layer.
Not every user receives the same panel. Views and actions follow the person's role and responsibility in the process.
One source of tour data for the system and sales website
The next stage connected the main 44Islands system with Wycieczki Świnoujście. The website presents tours to Polish and German customers and obtains tour and availability data through an API.
This means the offer does not have to be maintained manually in two separate places. The main system remains the source of operational data, while the sales website can focus on presenting tours and guiding visitors towards a booking.
The result: fewer scattered arrangements and one process
The system replaced the previous way of working with spreadsheets and messages. Bookings, schedules and commissions are handled within one process, while each role sees the information needed for its work.
The solution has also made cooperation with other tour organisers easier. 44Islands can sell their tours and settle commissions in the same system.
The project grows with the company
Work on the system began in 2025 and continues. New functions are added when the client expands the offer or needs to support another part of the process.
A public booking process for end customers is also being developed. This part is still undergoing testing and client acceptance, so we do not present it as a live production feature.
This staged approach makes it possible to organise the most important operational work first, then add further sales channels and automation.
Client testimonial
I definitely recommend working with DSO-IT Mateusz Domin. Professional advice, extensive knowledge and, most importantly, the project was completed on time. I continue to work with the company and can always count on its support.
Konrad Kobryński, 44Islands / Wycieczki Świnoujście
English translation of the original Polish review published on Oferteo and already used in the Domin Software portfolio. The Polish wording remains the source quotation.
When does a similar system make sense?
A custom system is not necessary just because a company uses Excel. It is worth considering when important information is repeatedly copied between several places, availability depends on dates and capacity, different people work on separate parts of the process, or settlements follow rules that standard software cannot support.
The first step should be to describe one complete process: where the booking arrives, who checks it, what information is required, when a place becomes unavailable and how the settlement is completed. This makes it possible to determine whether configuration of an existing tool, an integration, a separate module or a custom application is the right answer.
Do you want to organise a similar process?
In the form, explain where an order or booking appears today, who handles it and between which tools the information has to be copied. We will return with the questions needed to define the first stage and the pricing approach.
See also software for travel and hospitality, system and API integrations and other Domin Software projects.